The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the present invention relates to pant-like disposable absorbent articles having at least one line of weakness and a fastener.
It is desired that absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants or incontinence garments provide a close, comfortable fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. Moreover, it is desirable that such absorbent articles, after being soiled, can be removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner without undesirably soiling the caregiver or surrounding area such as the clothes of the wearer. In certain circumstances, it is also desirable that such absorbent articles are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily pull the article on and easily remove the article if it has not been soiled. In such circumstances it is further desirable that the caregiver or the wearer may be able to apply the absorbent article to a wearer in a prone position similar to a conventional diaper. Such absorbent articles can assist in the toilet training of children.
Conventional diapers are not provided in a prefastened condition and have typically included a front waist portion and a back waist portion which are releasably connected about the hips of the wearer during use by conventional fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners. For example, the conventional fasteners have typically included a pair of fasteners, such as adhesive tape tabs, located on the outermost corners of the diaper in the back waist region of the diaper and a complimentary fastener, such as a taping panel, located on the exterior surface of the outer cover of the diaper in the front waist portion of the diaper. In such a configuration, the diaper has been positioned between the legs of the wearer while the wearer is lying down and the adhesive tape tabs have been releasably attached to the taping panel to secure the back waist portion to the front waist portion of the diaper to secure the diaper about the waist of the wearer. Such conventional diapers are easy to fasten about and remove from the wearer after use without undesirably soiling the caregiver. However, such conventional diapers are not provided in a pant-like, prefastened configuration and, thus, are not configured to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer when the fasteners are attached.
Several attempts have been made to provide absorbent articles which effectively contain body exudates and are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer. For example, some conventional absorbent articles, such as conventional training pants, have included integral side panels which connect the front waist portion to the back waist portion of the absorbent article. The side panels have been made stretchable such that the waist opening of the absorbent article can expand to allow the absorbent article to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer if desired. Such side panels have also been designed such that they may be torn to remove the training pant from the wearer after it has been soiled.
However, many of such attempts have not been completely satisfactory. For example, absorbent articles such as training pants have not always been able to achieve a close conforming fit to the wearer while still being able to expand enough to be pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer. Often such training pants fit the waist of the wearer loosely which can undesirably result in leaks. As a result, many of such articles have not contained bodily exudates as effectively as conventional diaper-type articles which can be adjusted to achieve a more conforming fit to the wearer. Moreover, the inspection and removal of soiled absorbent articles which have integral side panels, such as conventional training pants, have not always been completely satisfactory. For example, the side panels have been difficult to tear when attempting to remove the article from the waist of the wearer instead of pulling the article down over the hips of the wearer. Finally, most of these conventional training pants do not provide the option of being applied as a conventional diaper.
Accordingly, despite the attempts to develop improved absorbent articles, there remains a need for absorbent articles which can effectively provide the benefits of both conventional training pants and conventional diapers. That is, there remains a need for absorbent articles which conform to the wearer to effectively contain bodily exudates, which are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips and buttocks of the wearer without opening, which are readily secured about and removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner and which allow easy inspection by the care giver to assist in determining whether the article is soiled. Moreover, there is a need that such pant-like disposable absorbent articles are also capable of being applied in the manner of a conventional diaper, to a wearer lying in a prone position.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, new pant-like disposable absorbent articles which have at least one line of weakness and at least one fastener have been discovered. In one aspect, the present invention concerns a pant-like, disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis which defines an absorbent core, an exterior surface, an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, a pair of laterally opposed side edges and a pair of longitudinally opposed waist edges. The absorbent article also includes a pair of opposed side panels which extend laterally outward from the side edges of the absorbent chassis and connect the front waist region and back waist region to define a waist opening. and a pair of leg openings in the pant-like disposable absorbent article. Each of the side panels define a first side margin which is permanently attached to the side edge of the absorbent chassis in the front waist region of the absorbent article to provide a pair of front permanent joints. Each of the side panels also define a second side margin which is permanently attached to the side edge of the absorbent chassis in the back waist region to provide a pair of back permanent joints. The absorbent article also includes a fastener located in one of the side panels. The absorbent article also includes a line of weakness located in the one side panel separating the fastener from one of the front or the back permanent joints. The fastener is released only after the line of weakness is broken and is configured to refastenably engage the one side panel of the absorbent article to the exterior surface of the absorbent chassis in one of the front waist region or the back waist region of the absorbent article.
In another aspect, the present invention concerns a pant-like, disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis which defines an absorbent core, an exterior surface, an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, a pair of laterally opposed side edges and a pair of longitudinally opposed waist edges. The absorbent article also includes a pair of laterally opposed extensible back panels which are permanently attached to the side edges of the absorbent chassis in the back waist region of the absorbent article to provide a pair of back permanent joints. The absorbent article also includes a pair of laterally opposed extensible front panels which are permanently attached to the side edges of the absorbent chassis in the front waist region of the absorbent article to provide a pair of front permanent joints. The front panel and the back panel on each side edge of the absorbent chassis are also permanently connected together at a side seam to provide a pair of side permanent joints and to define a waist opening and a pair of leg openings to provide the pant-like, disposable absorbent article. The absorbent article also includes a fastener located in each of the front panels. The absorbent article also includes a line of weakness in each of the front panels and separating the fasteners from the front permanent joints. The fasteners are released only after the lines of weakness are broken and are configured to refastenably engage the front panels to the exterior surface of the absorbent chassis in the front waist region of the absorbent article.
In yet another aspect, the present invention concerns a pant-like, disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis which defines an absorbent core, an exterior surface, an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, a pair of laterally opposed side edges and a pair of longitudinally opposed waist edges. The absorbent article also includes a pair of laterally opposed extensible back panels which are permanently attached to the side edges of the absorbent chassis in the back waist region of the absorbent article to provide a pair of back permanent joints. The absorbent article also includes a pair of laterally opposed extensible front panels which are permanently attached to the side edges of the absorbent chassis in the front waist region of the absorbent article to provide a pair of front permanent joints. The front panel and the back panel on each side edge of the absorbent chassis are also permanently connected together at a side seam to provide a pair of side permanent joints and to define a waist opening and a pair of leg openings to provide the pant-like, disposable absorbent article. The absorbent article also includes a fastener located in each of the back panels adjacent the side permanent joints. The absorbent article also includes a line of weakness located in each of the back panels and separating the fasteners from the side permanent joints. The fasteners are released only after the lines of weakness are broken and are configured to refastenably engage the back panels to the front waist region of the absorbent article.
The present invention advantageously provides pant-like, disposable absorbent articles which include a fastener and a line of weakness. In particular, the present invention provides pant-like disposable absorbent articles which are capable of being reliably pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to assist in the toilet training of the wearer similar to conventional training pants. Moreover, similar to conventional diapers, some configurations of the pant-like disposable absorbent articles of the present invention can be advantageously applied to and removed from the wearer similar to conventional diapers. Further, the pant-like disposable absorbent articles of the present invention allow easy inspection by the caregiver to assist in determining whether the article is soiled similar to conventional diapers. As such, the present invention can provide a dual use absorbent article which can function as both a pant-like absorbent article and as a conventional diaper.
Still further, the pant-like disposable absorbent articles of the present invention provide a line of weakness, which eases the opening and removal of the pant-like disposable absorbent article. Therefore, the pant-like diaper is presented in and maintains a pant-like configuration, but in particular configurations, the caregiver or the wearer when desired, can readily open the absorbent article for use as a conventional diaper or for removal. Moreover, the lines of weakness assist in identifying to the wearer or the caregiver where the opening for the pant-like absorbent article should be made for the absorbent article to be used in the conventional configuration. Further, upon opening of the line of weakness, the opening edges will maintain a neat appearance rather than a ragged tear, thereby providing a more pleasing diaper appearance when the absorbent article is being used in the conventional configuration. Finally, the fastener may be configured to be provided by other components of the pant-like absorbent article, or combinations thereof. Components which may be used individually or in combination to provide the fastener include the line of weakness, the extensible side panels, and the like. Accordingly, the fastener of the present invention may remain unobtrusive to the wearer while the pant-like absorbent article remains in the pant-like configuration, but upon disengagement of the releasable joint, becomes available to the wearer for use. Further, incorporating the fastener into existing portions of the absorbent article eases manufacturing and reduces excess materials thereby reducing costs.